Mutual funds distributors, or agents, and advisors are professionals that can help you make the right decision on mutual funds and other similar investments. However, there are certain nuances to how they go about achieving this. What are the differences between these job distinctions?
A mutual fund distributor/agent focuses on mutual fund products and recommends funds based on the investor’s needs and risk profile at the time of assessment. An advisor takes a more holistic approach, looking at liabilities, assets, incomes, and more. They also offer more products and services.
When working with these professionals, is there a conflict of interest that you need to be aware of? How are these professionals paid? I’ll look at all this and more in this article. So, read on!
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Table of Contents
Mutual Fund Distributors Explained
A mutual fund distributor or a third-party distributor is a middleman that connects mutual fund investors to relevant mutual fund schemes.
Distributors help investors make sense of the various mutual fund products from different companies. They are regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the U.S. and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in India.
They help investors handle various aspects of the transaction, including buying into the investment, switching across mutual funds, the redemption of profits, and more. They also provide periodic updates on the overall performance of the investment.
The distributor or agent solely focuses on the mutual fund industry, staying abreast of any changes.
Through regular qualitative and quantitative analysis, they know the funds that hold the best promise for investors, while collaborating regularly with investment companies to keep an updated database of relevant funds to use in recommendations.
Investment Advisors Explained
An advisor is an individual, or company, that provides investment advice or analysis on different securities in exchange for money.
Many professionals in the finance world fall under this category, including:
- Hedge funds general partners
- Financial planners
- Investment consultants
- Money managers
- Any other professionals that accept compensation for delivering advice on securities.
They offer advice on specific securities, including mutual funds, commodity pools, limited partnerships, stocks, and bonds.
Some investors may also rely on them for advice on general market trends, choice of investment companies, advice on asset allocation, or more. Investment advisors are also regulated by the SEC, SEBI, and other such bodies across different countries.
An investment advisor often looks at the whole picture when providing advice instead of focusing on a specific area.
The Differences Between Advisors and Mutual Funds Distributors
Looking at the definitions above, both advisors and distributors have the same aim: to help you generate risk-adjusted returns from mutual funds.
However, there are some key differences in how they operate.
Understanding these differences will help you decide on which way to lean when considering investment into mutual funds.
Let’s take a look at these differences now.
Mutual Fund Distributors/Agents
Mutual fund distributors/agents have different methods of doing business with their clients compared with advisors. The differences include how they charge commissions, the duties they perform, and the roles they take on.
Commissions Charged
Mutual fund distributors or agents earn commission from selling or buying mutual funds.
The investment company pays a commission for every client the agent sends their way. However, to avoid “mis-selling” (selling unsuitable products just to earn commissions), the regulators are strict about how commissions are paid. For example, an investment company can’t pay commissions upfront.
Obligations
They offer the best possible investment advice in exchange for a commission if you follow their recommendations. Plus, while not obligated to do so, they can make a purchase of their recommended products on your behalf when you do decide to follow their advice. If you follow their advice, you might make money. Or you might not.
Dual Roles
A mutual fund distributor or agent can perform the dual roles of providing advice and helping the investor buy into an investment. Most distributors typically make sure a client invests in their recommended funds.
Information Collected
Mutual fund distributors need some information to provide investors with the best advice. However, they only look at the information that will help them understand the investor’s risk tolerance levels and financial goals.
Advisors
Advisors, on the other hand, can offer advice on how to proceed in the market. Let’s take a look at some of the various methods they differ from Mutual Fund Distributors/Agents.
Commissions Charged
Advisors charge a fixed fee to perform their duties. In cases where they provide advice for mutual funds or other securities, they may charge a fixed percentage of your portfolio instead. Either way, you need to know how they will charge you before signing any legal documents.
Obligations
They are bound by depository duty to give the most honest advice best suited for your situation. However, they might have an alternative agenda, especially if they are not above board. Do your homework before you decide to work with a certain advisor.
Dual Roles
Advisors can provide advice on mutual funds, but they cannot double as a distributor. So, they can only recommend, but the decision to buy or decline ultimately rests with the investor. If you are looking for a reputable distributor, you need to find someone else other than an advisor.
Information Collected
Advisors take a more holistic approach with the information they need to provide the best advice. Most advisors will look at tax status, assets, liabilities, total expenses, income, short-term and long-term goals, and provide the best unbiased advice possible.
Mutual Fund Distributors and Advisors Help Clients in Several Ways
These are some of the ways mutual fund distributors and advisors help clients:
Providing Investment Education
A qualified mutual funds distributor and advisor can help you create a financial plan based on your specific goals. They can provide you with education on how best to achieve those goals. An advisor, especially, can help point you towards other investment options outside of mutual funds if necessary.
Analyzing Your Risk Tolerance
They can help an investor understand their risk tolerance in line with their investment goals, and then recommend products that are the best fit. For instance, a client with a low-risk profile and a long-term investment goal in mind will most likely be best served to go with debt mutual funds instead of equity variants.
An advisor will take a deep dive into your finances to make this analysis, while a distributor will generally work with your responses during a consultation.
Investment and Documentation
An advisor won’t act on your behalf, so they are unlikely to buy and sell securities directly for you. On the other hand, a mutual fund distributor can provide hands-free mutual fund investing for clients.
They can buy and sell funds, so they are also expected to keep a record of invoices, details of services offered, and everything else.
The documentation comes in handy during audits by the regulatory agencies.
How To Choose Between Mutual Fund Distributor and Advisor?
From the comparison above and everything else covered thus far, it’s clear that if you’re thinking about buying mutual funds, distributors or agents are the more direct option to go with, especially if you’ve already got your finances in order and have probably worked with an adviser in the past.
If you’re not convinced a mutual fund is the best way to invest your money and need some professional advice, going to an advisor makes more sense. The holistic look at your finances can help you see areas you need to focus on.
You’ll also know if it’s the right time to buy mutual funds or if there are better opportunities to consider.
Alternatively, some people might benefit from working with both an advisor and a mutual fund distributor. For example, you might work with the advisor to analyze your finances, discover your risk profile and decide on whether you need to invest in a mutual fund or not.
After the advisor recommends certain types of mutual funds, you can go to a mutual funds distributor to get the best recommendations on those types of mutual funds and then hand over the investment and documentation process to them.
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Conclusion
Mutual fund distributors and advisors generally differ in their scope of operations and how they are legally allowed to work with potential clients.
While professionals in the former category often focus on understanding your needs and recommending the best mutual funds for you, the latter group focuses on looking at the big picture with your finances before recommending mutual funds or any other investment vehicles.
Advisors can’t execute orders on your behalf, but you can trust distributors to buy and sell funds for you.
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